map of Stellwagen Bank
Stellwagen Bank is marine sanctuary located in the southwest corner of the Gulf of Maine, between Cape Ann and Cape Cod Bay. After talking to several boaters from the New England area about Stellwagen Bank and whale watching, we knew exactly where we would be headed next.
As we departed Plymouth, we were all extremely excited. We were free of the marina, we were going to look for whales, and we were headed for Maine. We knew it would be about 5 hours before we reached any whales, and then the plan was to sail all night to arrive in Portland the next morning.
At almost exactly 5 hours into the trip, Colin starting asking when we would see any whales. Wil and I had already spent quite a bit of time on deck with binoculars in hand, keeping our eyes peeled for whale spouts, and we were beginning to wonder if we would find any whales.
Moments after Colin came on deck, the first whale appeared. It was similar to the fin whales we’d seen on our way to Cape Cod, but we couldn’t tell what it was. Shortly after, a few more whales appeared and then moved on, but none came close to the boat.
THEN, we saw a very large whale surface in the distance, and we recognized the humpback tail. This whale moved very quickly towards us, and as it got closer, we realized just how monsterous it was. Not knowing the whale’s intent, we all braced for impact. The whale dove and there was a lull. We watched and waited with racing hearts. Suddenly, the whale surfaced directly at our bow. Everything about the whale was enormous! It slowly moved through its motions of blowing its spout and arching its body as it gradually dove again. It was difficult to tell if the whale went under the boat. Swirling bubbles from where the whale had been, drifted under the trampolines and bridgedeck to our stern. We were staring at the mass of bubbles when the whale re-surfaced just off the starboard side of our stern. We stared in amazement, as we tried to settle our beating hearts.
humpback surfacing near our bow
still too close for comfort!
humpback whale tail
humpback whale
humpback whale
mom & babe
so beautiful
humpback tail
humpback tail
humpback whale tail
Our boat wasn’t the only boat on the bank. There were plenty of fishing boats, another sailboat, and a couple of whale watching boats. Prior to heading to the bank, we had read the rules of ocean etiquette for whale watching. Don’t approach a whale head-on. It’s unlawful to approach the protected Right Whale at anytime. Only one boat at a time is permitted within a 100-foot radius of a whale. If a whale is close, keep your engines in neutral. At one point, over the VHF radio we heard one whale watching boat captain accuse another boat captain of cutting off a whale’s path. It was quite the serious argument!
Needless to say, we were on an adrenaline high during the whole whale watching experience. Memories of humpback whales will stick with us for a lifetime.
See our whale video!
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Awesome story and pictures Jen…thanks for sharing. I am definitely cruising vicariously with you guys! I just can seem to smell the fishy smell from the blow hole quite yet now. Glad you are making so many memories!
An amazing experience for sure! Later that night in the very dark, I did smell fish . . . then I heard 2 spouts. Got the nerves going again!
Hey everyone!!! Its so awesome to be able to read along with you and see all the great pics. I’m loving every post more than the next. The weather is awful here. Its so hot and rain is like almost everyday it seems. Being on the hill was bad enough when it got hot but all this rain and steam would have been unbearable. Being up north has to be so much better right now. I have told many people about your blog. The ones that actually followed through and looked it up have all told me “Thanks” Everyone loves it. Keep up the great work. I know it takes a lot of time and we all appreciate it. Best, James
Hi James! As always, it’s great to hear from you. We often look at what the weather is like in NC, and imagine the heat. Right now, we’re wishing we were a bit warmer than what we are. Blankets at night and soups for dinner. First thing in the morning, I try to get the coffee going on the stove, mainly so we can warm the cabin!
Thanks for passing on our website. It’s exciting to know we have regular readers! Everytime we get access to internet, I’m doing my best to keep the blog updated. There’s so much to tell and not enough time! Your encouragement is greatly appreciated. Thank you!